Alex Morgan to Pose in Body Paint for the 2012 SI Swimsuit Issue

Alex Morgan of the U.S. women's national soccer team will pose in body paint for the 2012 SI Swimsuit Issue, according to announcement made by Sports Illustrated on its Hot Clicks blog (h/t FOX Soccer News).

The initial photos of the Alex Morgan photoshoot appeared in the Yardbarker website on Friday.

Morgan told the Hot Clicks blog she was nervous in the beginning about the swimsuit edition. She later decided that the SI concept was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, though. Morgan stated that she felt it was an honor to be with other athletes in the SI Swimsuit Issue.

She follows the example of Hope Solo (to a lesser degree) with the magazine appearance, as Solo posed nude last year for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue.

Can the photos by Alex Morgan and Hope Solo help or hurt the U.S. women's soccer team? The answer is that the photos will not help nor hurt the team on the field.

The U.S. women's team has advanced in the last decades thanks to players like Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy. The team is composed of players who show fortitude on and off the field.

They are also down-to-earth when it comes to sports and life. What Alex Morgan does in her time off the field is her business.